Nutrition News: Enjoy the taste of eating right

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By Charlyn FargoCreators Syndicate

Holland Sentinel

By Charlyn FargoCreators Syndicate

Posted Mar. 18, 2014 at 11:46 AM

By Charlyn FargoCreators Syndicate

Posted Mar. 18, 2014 at 11:46 AM

The president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Glenna McCollum, has a message for consumers: “Take risks that yield rewards.” McCollum brings her message during March, designated as National Nutrition Month.

One of those risks can be to try to make half your plate fruits and vegetables, one of the guidelines of USDA’s “My Plate” and a way to add color, flavor and texture, along with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Make 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables your daily goal.

Here are 20 tips from the McCollum and the Academy to help you boost your fruit and veggie intake:

Q: I got too busy to exercise for a few weeks. Have I lost all that I worked for, or can I pick up where I left off?

A: How quickly you lose fitness depends on long you have stopped and how fit you are to start. The more fit you are and the longer you’ve been exercising, let’s say at least several months, the more slowly you lose aerobic condition and strength. You may lose some ground after two or three weeks of not exercising, but you probably are still ahead of where you started. People new to exercise, however, can end up back where they started in endurance and strength after a month or less. If you are ready to return to your former physical activity and it’s been more than a couple weeks, start back with an easier workout than where you left off. Tune in to how your body feels, and adjust to a pace and intensity that let you exercise using good form. Some experts say a good guideline for aerobic exercise is to work hard enough that you wouldn’t want to sing, but can still talk. Again, depending on your fitness level and the length of time you stopped exercising, expect it to take weeks or even a few months to get back to your previous fitness level. Next time you find yourself tight on time, studies show that if you exercise for a shorter period or less often, without cutting it out completely, you can hold your ground. If you’re getting bored with what you’re doing, or if a change in season ends the activities you’ve been doing, start something new. Participation in different kinds of physical activity can add more benefits than sticking with one form of exercise alone, and it keeps activity fun.

— Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research

Recipe

Here’s a dessert that will help meet your daily fruit goal and give you something new to try. It’s Orange Gratin, served with a dollop of yogurt, from Cooking Light magazine.